Reference Form question - Page 2

  • Creator
    Topic
  • #180561
    Anonymous
    Inactive

    Hi everyone,

    I’m going to be taking the CPA exam in about a year from now. I’m from Louisiana. As a first time applicant, I have to submit a reference form with 3 signatures. It says, References should be from CPAs or substantial and representative business or professional individuals But the person(s) can not be:

    Current or former employer

    More than one member of a household

    Relative (by blood or marriage)

    Roommate

    Fellow student

    University or college instructor (unless they have had significant contact with you outside the classroom)

    Person with which you have a financial or business investment

    So my question is, who can actually sign this form? I have friends, but they are either related to me, or live in a different part of the state than where I live.

Viewing 15 replies - 16 through 30 (of 40 total)
  • Author
    Replies
  • #447967
    tough_kitty
    Member

    Wow. I had to read this for myself… Saying these requirements are “weird” is an understatement…. “No more than one member of the household” but “no one blood related”… Guess if you have a girlfriend/boyfriend who is a working professional, that would count as one…..

    FAR: 81 (May 2013)
    BEC: 81 (July 2013)
    REG: 83 (August 2013)
    AUD: 82 (November 2013)
    California CPA since 1/30/14

    #447969
    Anonymous
    Inactive

    Thanks everyone for your help. I emailed the Louisiana state board with a few question about it. Hopefully I get an reply email for them soon.

    #448112
    Anonymous
    Inactive

    Thanks everyone for your help. I emailed the Louisiana state board with a few question about it. Hopefully I get an reply email for them soon.

    #447971

    @e_griffin87 did you get a response from the state board? I'd be curious to hear what they had to say.

    #448114

    @e_griffin87 did you get a response from the state board? I'd be curious to hear what they had to say.

    #448116
    Anonymous
    Inactive

    Holy crap. o.O Might be time to start attending Chamber of Commerce meetings for a year and then beg some people to sign off…! In all seriousness, that's absurd. Most people who are not yet at a professional level of work do *not* have 3 people they have known well for more than 12 months who are CPAs or “substantial and representative business or professional individuals”.

    Have you considered applying to take the exams in another state, and then after taking the exams and getting some experience, hoping to have the network established to transfer your credentials in-state? I don't know the details, but I know I have seen some people on here talking about becoming candidates in one state and practicing in another. Might be an option.

    #447973
    Anonymous
    Inactive

    Holy crap. o.O Might be time to start attending Chamber of Commerce meetings for a year and then beg some people to sign off…! In all seriousness, that's absurd. Most people who are not yet at a professional level of work do *not* have 3 people they have known well for more than 12 months who are CPAs or “substantial and representative business or professional individuals”.

    Have you considered applying to take the exams in another state, and then after taking the exams and getting some experience, hoping to have the network established to transfer your credentials in-state? I don't know the details, but I know I have seen some people on here talking about becoming candidates in one state and practicing in another. Might be an option.

    #448118
    Anonymous
    Inactive

    @barelystayingsane, no I haven't heard from them yet. I emailed the LA state board two days ago. If I don't get a reply in by the middle of next week. I will call them. This is my first time contacting the board, so I don't really know how long they take to reply to emails.

    #447975
    Anonymous
    Inactive

    @barelystayingsane, no I haven't heard from them yet. I emailed the LA state board two days ago. If I don't get a reply in by the middle of next week. I will call them. This is my first time contacting the board, so I don't really know how long they take to reply to emails.

    #448120
    Anonymous
    Inactive

    @ Lilla, It's just kind of fustrating for me. I graduated BS in Accounting in December 2009 (3.5 GPA). Took a job in May 2010 doing bookkeeping for a Telecommunications company (kind of settled for the job, when I really should have kept apply to local CPA firms). Few years go by and I finally get back in school in Fall 2012 ( I could have been back in school sooner, but I kept falling short on the GMAT score to get into the MBA program..finally decided to just enroll undergrad as finance major to take a few extra classes for the 150 requirement). I have been working really hard since Fall 2012 to get the 150 to sit for the exam in August 2014. Only the controller I work under is a CPA (we work for the same company, but he's not my employer, if you know what I mean) I guess he could sign it. But other than him, I don't know any CPAs or “substantial and representative business or professional individuals.” And to have something like this prevent me from sitting for the exam next year is frustrating to be honest. I mean it's “moral” character, not “professional” character. I would think anyone could attest to my moral character. I'm a good person, I treat people with respect, never got in trouble in school, etc.

    If this stops me from sitting for the exam next year, I will be devastated and feel quite defeated after the work I have done to get this far.

    #447977
    Anonymous
    Inactive

    @ Lilla, It's just kind of fustrating for me. I graduated BS in Accounting in December 2009 (3.5 GPA). Took a job in May 2010 doing bookkeeping for a Telecommunications company (kind of settled for the job, when I really should have kept apply to local CPA firms). Few years go by and I finally get back in school in Fall 2012 ( I could have been back in school sooner, but I kept falling short on the GMAT score to get into the MBA program..finally decided to just enroll undergrad as finance major to take a few extra classes for the 150 requirement). I have been working really hard since Fall 2012 to get the 150 to sit for the exam in August 2014. Only the controller I work under is a CPA (we work for the same company, but he's not my employer, if you know what I mean) I guess he could sign it. But other than him, I don't know any CPAs or “substantial and representative business or professional individuals.” And to have something like this prevent me from sitting for the exam next year is frustrating to be honest. I mean it's “moral” character, not “professional” character. I would think anyone could attest to my moral character. I'm a good person, I treat people with respect, never got in trouble in school, etc.

    If this stops me from sitting for the exam next year, I will be devastated and feel quite defeated after the work I have done to get this far.

    #448122
    Anonymous
    Inactive

    @ Lilla, It's just kind of fustrating for me. I graduated BS in Accounting in December 2009 (3.5 GPA). Took a job in May 2010 doing bookkeeping for a Telecommunications company (kind of settled for the job, when I really should have kept apply to local CPA firms). Few years go by and I finally get back in school in Fall 2012 ( I could have been back in school sooner, but I kept falling short on the GMAT score to get into the MBA program..finally decided to just enroll undergrad as finance major to take a few extra classes for the 150 requirement). I have been working really hard since Fall 2012 to get the 150 to sit for the exam in August 2014. Only the controller I work under is a CPA (we work for the same company, but he's not my employer, if you know what I mean) I guess he could sign it. But other than him, I don't know any CPAs or “substantial and representative business or professional individuals.” And to have something like this prevent me from sitting for the exam next year is frustrating to be honest. I mean it's “moral” character, not “professional” character. I would think anyone could attest to my moral character. I'm a good person, I treat people with respect, never got in trouble in school, etc.

    If this stops me from sitting for the exam next year, I will be devastated and feel quite defeated after the work I have done to get this far.

    #447979
    Anonymous
    Inactive

    @ Lilla, It's just kind of fustrating for me. I graduated BS in Accounting in December 2009 (3.5 GPA). Took a job in May 2010 doing bookkeeping for a Telecommunications company (kind of settled for the job, when I really should have kept apply to local CPA firms). Few years go by and I finally get back in school in Fall 2012 ( I could have been back in school sooner, but I kept falling short on the GMAT score to get into the MBA program..finally decided to just enroll undergrad as finance major to take a few extra classes for the 150 requirement). I have been working really hard since Fall 2012 to get the 150 to sit for the exam in August 2014. Only the controller I work under is a CPA (we work for the same company, but he's not my employer, if you know what I mean) I guess he could sign it. But other than him, I don't know any CPAs or “substantial and representative business or professional individuals.” And to have something like this prevent me from sitting for the exam next year is frustrating to be honest. I mean it's “moral” character, not “professional” character. I would think anyone could attest to my moral character. I'm a good person, I treat people with respect, never got in trouble in school, etc.

    If this stops me from sitting for the exam next year, I will be devastated and feel quite defeated after the work I have done to get this far.

    #448124
    Anonymous
    Inactive

    @ barelystayingsane. The state board replied to my email today. They said no co-workers can sign, if I don't know any CPAs, they said they can be a doctor or a lawyer. So far I can get my doctor to sign. I emailed them again to see if the controller who is a CPA that supervises my work can sign it (we work for the same company), but maybe they will say he can sign since he is a CPA even though we are technically co-workers.

    #447981
    Anonymous
    Inactive

    @ barelystayingsane. The state board replied to my email today. They said no co-workers can sign, if I don't know any CPAs, they said they can be a doctor or a lawyer. So far I can get my doctor to sign. I emailed them again to see if the controller who is a CPA that supervises my work can sign it (we work for the same company), but maybe they will say he can sign since he is a CPA even though we are technically co-workers.

Viewing 15 replies - 16 through 30 (of 40 total)
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